Reservoir for water-closets



Inl/enfer Smih E'. Hughes.

Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

N. PETERS. Phaxa-mhngnplmf. wnhinglm D. C,

S. E. HUGHES.

RESERVOIR PoR WATER GLosETs, sw.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcEo SMI'II-I E. HUGHES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RESERVOIR FOR WATER-CLOSETS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,249, dated October 16, 1888.

Application filed February 9, ISES.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, SMITH E. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,haveinvented certain Improvements in Reservoirs for Water- Closets, &c., of which the following is a specitication.

The main objects of my invention are to provide for a full and free flow of water to the bowl of the closet; to dispense with the usual cumbersome and unsightly reservoir and pipes; and to prevent the noise which, when an open elevated reservoir is used, is caused by the sucking of air into the delivery-pipe. These objects I attain in the manner which I will now proceed to describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a water closet bowl with reservoir constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the upper part ofthe reservoir. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of part of the rim of the bowl, and Fig. l is an enlarged sectional plan of the lower part of the reservoir with part of the rim of the bowl and overflowpipe.

A represents the bowl of the water-closet, which may be of any of the usual constructions, excepting that it has, by preference, a simple inturned liange, x, at the rim, and has said rim recessed at the rear for the reception of a distributingbox, B, which conforms to the shape of the bowl, and has an outlet, a, close to the inner side of the same, through which the water is discharged against the back of the bowl, and end outlets, a', through which the water is discharged behind the ange as, the use of this segmental distributingbox rendering unnecessary the formation around the upper edge of the bowl of the usual ehambered rim, and thereby materially reducing the cost of the bowl.

Projecting from the box Bis a pipe, b, which is coupled to a pipe, d, projecting from the lower portion of the reservoir D, said reservoir receiving its water from the supply-pipe E, and the flow from the reservoir into the box being regulated by a valve, f, the stemf of which may be operated in any convenient manner, or when the box B is not used the pipe d may be caused to communicate with the bowl in any desired way.

Serial No. 263,534. (No model.)

The reservoir D is closed at the top by a cap, G, in which is formed a chamber or passage, h, communicating with the interior of the reservoir through openings i and m, the opening z being closed by a diaphragm, g, which preferabl y forms part of the packing-strip inserted between the casing of the reservoir and the cap G. The openingm is closed by avalve, n, which is carried by a convex block, n', adapted to a concave seat or socket, k, on a lever, H, hung to a stud on a plate, H', carried by the cap G, the outer end of the lever having a pivoted stem, p, which is connected to Washers clamping the diaphragm g. WVhen the valve f is closed, therefore, water entering the reservoir D from the supply-pipe E rises in said reservoir until it reaches the top of the same, whereupon the pressure upon the diaphragm g causes the elevation of the outer end of the lever H and the closing of the opening on, by the valve a, the ball-and-socket bearing of the latter on the lever insuring the proper bearing of the valve against its seat. Any water which may escape into the passage h before the valve n is fully closed is discharged from said passage through the bent pipe s and into an overflow-pipe, t, which communicates at its lower end with the bowl of the closet, the upper end of the pipe surrounding the pipe s, but being enlarged in diameter, so that it does not form a close joint therewith, whereby air can escape freely from said pipe s as the water rises in the reservoir D, any overflow or leakage from the valve n being led into the bowl of the closet.

By the use of the diaphragm subjected to the direct pressure of the water in the reservoir D, I am enabled to effect the tight closing of the valve a and yet keep the areaof the diaphragm g within reasonable limits, thus overcoming a serious objection to that class of reservoirs in which the valve is connected to a float contained in the reservoir, for in such cases the closing of the valve is dependent upon the buoyancy of the float, and the latter, in order to exert sufficient force upon the valve, must be of such large size as to unduly increase the cross-sectional area of the reservoir.

The relative location of the valve and diaphragm in respectv to the fulcrnxn ofthe lever H, as illustrated, while not absolutely essen- IOO tial to my invention is preferred on account of the leverage gained when this location of the parts is resorted to.

When the valvcfis opened, the water flows from the reservoir into the distributing-box and thence into the bowl of the closet, and as soon as the water commences to ilow there is a lowering of the level of water in the reservoir, due to the fact that the discharge from the pipe dis greater than the inlet from the supply-pipe. The diaphragm g is thus at once relieved from upward pressure, or rather is subjected to a downward pressure, because of thefpartal vacuum caused by the fall of the Waterlevel in the reservoir; hence the valve n is opened and air is permitted to enter the upper portion of the reservoir through the pipe s, passage h, and opening m, this inlet of air being free from the noise caused by the sucking of air into the delivery-pipe of the usual open elevated tank, so that a serious objection to the use of such a tank is overcome.

It will be evident that the reservoir D may be of any required shape or size and may be made as ornamental as desired, and it can be located in any position in respect to the bowl of the closet which may be found most convenient, the operating devices for the valve f being modified accordingly, so that the operating handle or lever for said valve shall always be within convenient reach of the occupant of the seat. rlhe` reservoir may also, if

desired, be used for other purposes than supplying the bowls of water-closets--in any case, for instance, in which is required an intermittent low 0f greater volume than that afforded by the supply-pipe.

I claim as my invention- I 1. The combination of the reservoir having a supply-pipe, a discharge-regulating valve in the lower portion and a vent-opeuing in the top, with a valve closing said opening, and a lever carrying said valve and connected to a yielding diaphragm which closes an opening in the top of the reservoir and is acted upon by the pressure of water in said reservoir when the latter is lled with water, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination ofthe reservoir having a supply-pipe, a discharge-regulating valve in the lower portion, and a cap having a ventpassage communicating with an overflow-pipe,

and a vent-opening between said passage and the interior of the reservoir, with a valve closing said veut-opening, and a valve-lever hav ing a diaphragm adapted to another opening in the cap of the reservoir, all substantially as specified.

3. The combination ofthe reservoir, the cap having a vent-passage with an open dischargepipe, a valve for closing communication between said passage and the reservoir, and au overow-pipe surrounding the dischargepipe, but providing a space between the two, all substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SMITH E. HUGHES.

Vitnesses: ,l JAS. L. SKIDMORE, HARRY SMITH. 

